Upon hides



June 2, 1931. J. w. ODONNELL 1,807,669

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON HIDES, SKINS; AND LEATHER- Filed Feb. 1, 1929I8 I I6 O Inn/en 01" TQM UJ. Q'W

Patented June 2, 1931 umrao STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN W. OIJONNELL, 0FSAI EM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE TURNER TAN- NING MACHINERYCOMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE MACHINE FOR OPERAING UPON HIDES, SKINS AND vLIJAELTHER Application filed February 1,1929. Serial No. 336,897.

' This invention relates to machines for operating upon hides, skins andleather and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for-setting heavyleather. It is to be understood, however, that the inventionand variousimportant features thereof may have other applications and uses.

Machines for setting leather, as heretofore constructed, havepractically invariably been provided with a bed roll having a relativelyfirm, smooth-surfaced rubber covering, the bed roll serving to back thework while the latter is being operated upon by a bladed cylinder. Forco-operation with the bed roll in feeding the work there has usuallybeen provided a brass roll or a roll covered with a layer of hardrubber. While this construction has proved to be satisfactory as ageneral rule, there is a tendency for the work to move laterally to orbeyond one end of the bed roll where it would be damaged, and in certainclasses of work a feeding means of greater or more certain tractivepower would be distinctly advantageous. In unhairing operations also,the slippery condition of the hide or skin has made it difficult tosecure feeding of the work at a uniform speed withoutemploying aplurality of feed rolls, or a brass feed roll with a fluted surfacewhich may in some cases leave marks on the grain surface of the hide orskin. I i

In copending application Serial No. 151,772. filed November 30, 1926,inthe name of G. A. Schettler, the difiiculties mentioned above havebeenovercome by a novel con struction and arrangement of spirally-bladedfeed rolls which provide all the tractive power necessary in machinesfor operating upon somewhat less expensive means for accomplishing theresults mentioned and thus be able to offer a good substituteconstruction having advantages in other directions, especially in thefeeding of hides and skinsin which the thickness dimension varies con--piece of work.

To these ends, and in accordance with an important feature of theinvention, there is provided in the illustrated machine, a bed rollhaving an outer layer or covering of an intimate mixture of rubber andrough fiber, such as wool, vulcanized together. The surface of theWool-rubber layer has a greater frictional quality than that of anyother feed or bed roll now in commercial use having an even surface,that is, one free from projections, ribs or corrugations. Preferably,the compound comprises 27 pounds of wool to 35 pounds of rubber, so thatthe proportion is approximately 1 pound wool to l pounds rubber. It isto be-understood, that this proportion maybe varied considerably inaccordance with the machine in which the bed roll is to be used and tosuit conditions which vary with the kind of work to be performed.Preferably, too, and as shown, the surface layer of wool and rubber hasa backing of relatively soft rubber between it and an iron core orshaft. so that the surface of the bed roll may yield to inequalities inthe work. To prevent side-slipping of the work. that is. slipping towardor off one end of the bed roll, the relatively soft rubber layer isdisposed throughout all the middle portion of the roll but terminates asubstantial distance short of each end of the roll. In other words,

the relatively firm layer of wool and rubber is thicker ateach end ofthe roll and much less yielding than it is where backed by therelatively soft rubber layer. This arrange rubber layer and to the endportions of the binder layer during the vulcanizing operation, theconstruction and arrangement being such that the layers are successivelyapplied and are secured to each other in a single vulcanizing operation.

For co-operation with the bed roll having a covering of the describedwool-rubber composition, there is provided in the illustrated settingmachine a feed roll having a. woolrubber layer or covering forco-operation with the bed roll in insuring perfect feeding of the hidesor skins under all conditions. Preferably, and as shown, this feed rollis covered with a wool-rubber composition in a layer of uniformthickness throughout, no soft rubber backing being used as in the caseof the bed roll, since the latter provides the necessary yieldingsurface which accommo dates variations in the thickness of the work. Itis to be noted too that the illustrated rolls are especially welladapted to feed small skins and light leathers because of their even,uniform surfaces.

These and other features of the invention and novel combinations ofparts will now be described in detail by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and then pointed out more particularly in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a bed roll of improvedconstruction Fig. 2 is a similar section of an improved feed roll; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of a setting machineillustrating application of the invention to a special machine.

In the illustrated machine which is designed specially for the settingof hides, there are shown a bed roll 10 and a feed roll 12 arranged inco-operative relationto feed a piece of work lei while it is beingoperated upon by bladed cylinders 16 and 18 of the usual construction inwhich the blades are helically arranged in sets extending in oppositedirections from points between the ends of the cylinder.

Preferably, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bed roll 10 comprises aninnercore of cast iron 20 upon a shaft 21. Upon the core 20 is a binderlayer 22 of hard rubber about of an inch thick. Surrounding the binderlayer for the greater portion of the length of the bed roll is a layerof relatively soft rubber 2 1 approximately 1 of an inch thick.Preferably and as shown, this soft rubber layer terminates short of theends of the bed roll. For example, in a roll inches long the soft rubberlayer stops five inches from each end of the core and hence isfifty-five inches long. Outside of the soft rubber layer 24, covering itand the binder 22 at the ends of the bed roll, is'a layer 26 of wool andrubber composition, the wool being intima-tely and substantiallyuniformly intermixed with the rubber and the latter vulcanized toproduce a relatively firm layer. Preferably the compound comprises 27pounds of wool to 35 pounds of rubber so that the proportion isapproximately one pound of wool to one and one-half pounds of rubber. Itwill be readily understood, however, that this proportion may be variedconsiderably in accordance with the machine in which the bed roll is tobe used and with full allowance for the kind of work to be performed.The density of this layer is ordinarily from 115 to 125 plastometer on a1250 needle.

The feed roll, shown in detail in Fig. 2, comprises abinder layer 30upon a cast iron core 32, mounted upon a shaft 3 1, and surrounding thebinder layer is a wool-rubber layer 36 which extends the full length ofthe roll and is similar in composition and in frictional quality to thewool-rubber layer 26 of the bed roll 10, there being no soft rubberlayer in the feed roll corresponding to the layer 24 of the bed roll.

The wool-rubber composition provides a surface on the work feeding rollswhich is even, or smooth in the ordinary acceptance of that term, sinceit has no projections, scrrations, ribs or corrugations, such as areordinarily employed to increase the gripping effect of feed rolls.Nevertheless the surface provided by the relatively smooth woolrubberlayer has a very marked frictional factor, so much so, that the tractiveeffect is greatly increased over the smooth rubber rolls of priorconstructions. The bed roll 10 in addition to the feature of a highlyeffective feeding surface has the advantage of keeping the work disposedproperly between the ends of the roll. This is due to the arrangement ofa yielding portion throughout most of the length of the roll andrelatively unyielding portions at each end thereof. Because of thisconstruction the pieces of work do not shift laterally to or beyond theends of the roll.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of the classdescribed, a work contacting member comprising a: rigid body portion,and a covering layer consisting of. an intimate and substantiallyuniform mixture of wool and rubber vulcanized together to provide africtional surface for engagement with a piece of work.

2.. In a machine of the class described, a cylindrical member comprisinga shaft, and a layer of a, substantially uniform mixture of wool andrubber vulcanized together and secured to the shaft, the surface of thewool and rubber layer having a marked frictional quality adapting it forfrictional engagement with a piece of work. 7 V

3. A roll for leather workinp machines, comprising a shaft, and a sleeveor covering for the shaft consisting of an intimate mixture of wool andrubber vulcanized together to provide a frictional surface for effectivefeeding of hides, skins, and pieces of leather.

4. A roll for leather Working machines comprising a shaft, a binderlayer vulcanized upon the shaft, a soft rubber layer upon the binderlayer, and a layer of Wool and rubber vulcanized together and arrangedexteriorly to the soft rubber layer, the Wool and rubber layer servingto provide a frictional surface for engagement With a piece of work.

5. A roll for leather Working machines, comprising a shaft, and a sleeveor covering for the shaft, consisting of a mixture of Wool and rubber inthe proportion approximately of one pound of Wool to one and a. halfpounds of rubber, the rubber and W001 being vulcanized together toprovide a relatively firm Wool-rubber layer having a frictional surfaceeffective for the feeding of hides, skins and pieces of leather..

6. A bed roll for leather Working machines, comprising a shaft, a layerof soft rubber covering all the intermediate portion of the shaft andterminating a short distance from each end of the shaft, and a sleeve orcovering of a Wool-rubber composition extending the full length of thebed roll, the construction and arrangement being such that the sleeve orcovering of Wool-rubber is backed by the soft rubber layer throughoutthe greater portion of the length of the bed roll and is relativelyunyielding at each end of the roll where the soft rubber layer isabsent.

7 A roll for leather Working machines, comprising a shaft, a hard binderlayer of rubber vulcanized on the shaft, a layer of relatively soft andyielding rub-ber vulcanized upon the binder layer, the soft rubber layerterminating a substantial distance short of each end of the binderlayer, and a relatively firm layer of W001 and rubber intimately mixedand vulcanized together, the Wool and rubber layer being vulcanized tothe soft rubber layer and to the binder layer beyond the ends of thesoft rubber layer whereby the wool-rubber layer has thicker portions ateach end of the roll and an intermediate thinner portion backed by theyielding soft rubber layer.

8. A bed roll for leather Working machines, comprising a metal core, abinder layer upon the metal core, a soft rubber layer upon the binderlayer covering all of the middle por tion of the binder layer andextending to Within a short distance of each end of the binder layer,and a relatively firm WOOlrubber layer covering the soft rubber layerand the binder layer beyond the soft rubber layer at each end of thecore, the construction and arrangement being such as to provide africtional feeding surface on the bed roll throughout the length of thelatter, the Woolrubber layer yielding to accommodate variations inthickness of the Work Where it is backed by the soft rubber layer andbeing unyielding at the ends of the roll Where the soft rubber layer isabsent.

9. A roll for leather Working machines having a frictional surfaceprovided by a covering layer of an intimate mixture of Wool fiber andrubber vulcanized together.

10. A roll for leather Working machines, comprising a shaft, a layer ofsoft rubber covering all the intermediate portion of the shaft andterminating a short distance from each end of the shaft, and a sleeve orcovering of a relatively firm rubber composition extending the fulllength of the roll, the construction and arrangement being such that thesleeve or covering of relatively firm rubber composition is backed bythe soft rubber layer throughout the greater portion of the length ofthe roll and is relatively unyielding at each end of the roll Where thesoft rubber layer is absent.

11. In a setting machine, a bed roll comprising a metal core, a softrubber layer covering all the intermediate portion of the core andextending to Within a short distance of each end of the core, and asleeve or covering of relatively firm vulcanized rubber and 'WOOl.composition providing a frictional surface for feeding pieces of Work,said vulcanized composition being arranged over the soft rubber layerand over portions of the core beyond the soft rubber layer to provideend portions of the bed roll more unyielding than the intermediateportions of the bed roll, in combination With a bladed cylinder foroperating upon a piece of Work backed by the bed roll, said cylinderhaving blades helically arranged and extending in opposite directionsfrom points between the ends of the cylinder, and a feed roll forco-operation With the bed roll in feeding the Work past the cylinder,the relatively unyielding ends of the bed roll serving to counteract thetendency of the helically arranged blades to displace the Work.

12. In a setting machine, a bed roll comprising a metal core, a softrubber layer covering the core and extending to Within a short distanceof each end of the core, and asleeve or covering of relatively firmvulcanized rubber and WOOl composition providing a frictional surfacefor feeding pieces of work, said vulcanized composition being arrangedover the soft rubber layer and over portions of the core beyond the softrubber layer to provide end portions of the bed roll more unyieldingthan the intermediate portions of the bed roll, in combination With ahelically bladed cylinder for operating upon a piece of'work backed bythe bed roll, and a feed roll for co-operation with the bed roll infeeding the Work past the cylinder, the rela tively unyielding ends ofthe bed roll serving to counteract the tendency of the helicallyarranged blades to displace the Work and said feed r011 having acovering of vulcanized rubber and W001 to provide a frictional surfacefor co-operation With the bed roll in feeding the Work.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN W. ODONNELL.

